Apparatus and Method for Generating Nitric Oxide in Controlled and Accurate Amounts

Abstract

A nitric oxide generator generates nitric oxide from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen such as air treated by a pulsating electrical discharge. The desired concentration of nitric oxide is obtained by controlling at least one of a frequency of the pulsating electrical discharge and duration of each electrical discharge pulse.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A nitric oxide generation system, comprising:
 a plasma chamber including two electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide using a flow of a reactant gas through the plasma chamber;   a controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide generated in the product gas by the two electrodes in the plasma chamber using one or more parameters as input to a control algorithm, at least one of the one or more parameters being related to the flow rate of the reactant gas into the plasma chamber;   in input for connection to an external a pressurized reactant gas source to provide reactant gas to the plasma chamber;   a control valve positioned between the reactant gas source and the plasma chamber and configured to provide a flow of the reactant gas from the reactant gas source based on a measurement associated with a medical gas into which the product gas flows; and   a filter configured to remove NO 2  from the product gas generated by the plasma chamber,   wherein the concentration of NO in the combined product gas and medical gas is a target value.   
     
     
         3 . The nitric oxide generation system of  claim 2 , wherein the measurement associated with the medical gas is the flow rate of the medical gas such that the air flow of the reactant gas through the plasma chamber is proportional to the flow rate of the medical gas. 
     
     
         4 . A nitric oxide generation system, comprising:
 a plasma chamber including two electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide using a flow of a reactant gas through the plasma chamber;   a controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide generated in the product gas by the two electrodes in the plasma chamber using one or more parameters as input to a control algorithm, at least one of the one or more parameters being related to the flow rate of the reactant gas into the plasma chamber;   in input for connection to an external a pressurized reactant gas source to provide reactant gas to the plasma chamber; and   a control valve positioned between the reactant gas source and the plasma chamber and configured to provide a flow of the reactant gas from the reactant gas source based on a measurement associated with a medical gas into which the product gas flows,   wherein the concentration of NO in the combined product gas and medical gas is a target value.   
     
     
         5 . The nitric oxide generation system of  claim 4 , further comprising one or more filters configured to remove NO 2  from the product gas generated by the plasma chamber.